International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center facts for kids
CIMMYT in El Batan, Mexico
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| Formation | 1943, 1966 and officially established in 1971 |
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| Type | Non-profit research-for-development organization |
| Purpose | To develop improved varieties and sustainable farming methods of wheat and maize for improving livelihoods of the world's poor |
| Headquarters | El Batán, near Texcoco, State of Mexico, Mexico |
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Director General
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Bram Govaerts |
| Affiliations | CGIAR |
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Staff
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1,600 staff members working throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, and projects in over 40 countries |
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center is often called CIMMYT. This name comes from its Spanish name, Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo. CIMMYT is a special organization that does not aim to make a profit.
Its main goal is to create better kinds of wheat and maize (corn). This helps make sure there is enough food for everyone. CIMMYT also invents new ways of farming. These methods help farmers grow more food and keep their crops healthy. They especially help small farmers earn a better living. CIMMYT is one of 15 research centers that are part of CGIAR. CIMMYT is famous for having the world's biggest collection of maize and wheat seeds. These seeds are kept safe at its main office in Mexico.
Bram Govaerts became the head of CIMMYT in 2021. He is the ninth director general of the organization.
Contents
How CIMMYT Started
CIMMYT began with a partnership between the Mexican government and the Rockefeller Foundation. In 1943, they created the Office of Special Studies. This office was part of Mexico's farming department. Its main aim was to make sure Mexico and other countries had enough food. They did this by carefully choosing and improving plant types.
This project grew into a team effort between Mexican and international scientists. They set up networks around the world to test new crop types. One of these scientists was Norman Borlaug, a wheat expert. He developed new types of dwarf wheat. These plants put more energy into growing grain. They also used fertilizer better than older types. Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. He received this award for helping to increase the world's food supply.
The program changed its name to CIMMYT in 1963. It was still under the Mexican government's farming department. But more and more countries needed help. CIMMYT needed better organization and more money. So, in 1966, it became its own non-profit science and education center.
In the early 1970s, several groups and countries started CGIAR. This was to help spread farming research to more nations. CIMMYT was one of the first research centers to get support from CGIAR. Today, CGIAR has 15 centers. All of them work to make sure we have enough food in a way that protects the planet.
What CIMMYT Does
CIMMYT scientists help national research groups. They also work with small and medium-sized seed companies. This helps make sure farmers can get good, affordable seeds. They also teach farmers about sustainable farming methods. CIMMYT's main office is in Mexico. But it also has 12 other offices around the world. These are in countries like India, Kenya, and China. They also have many experimental farms.
CIMMYT's researchers work to make farming better and more sustainable. For example, they promote machines that help women farmers in Africa and Asia. These machines reduce hard work and costs. They also teach about conservation agriculture. This includes methods like no-till farming. With this, farmers can plant seeds directly without plowing the soil.
CIMMYT keeps the largest collection of maize and wheat seeds in the world. They have 28,000 different kinds of maize. They also have 140,000 types of wheat. These seeds are shared with others under special agreements. A copy of the wheat seeds is also stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This vault is in Svalbard, Norway. CIMMYT uses this huge variety of seeds to create new maize and wheat types. These new types grow more food. They can also survive tough weather and diseases.
CIMMYT scientists have developed many of the wheat and maize types grown today. About 70% of the wheat grown globally came from their work. About half of the world's corn (maize) types also came from CIMMYT. Many of the maize and wheat types grown in poorer countries have CIMMYT's improved traits.
Challenges and Criticisms
Even though CIMMYT aims to help people and the planet, some of its ideas have faced criticism. Norman Borlaug, one of the founders, was part of something called the Green Revolution. This movement used new farming techniques to grow more food. Some people say that while it helped in the short term, it might have caused problems later.
Critics of CIMMYT say it's important to think about how these changes affect farmers and the environment. They argue that some farmers became dependent on expensive seeds. These seeds also needed costly fertilizers. Farmers who could not afford them sometimes struggled. In some cases, growing too many crops in one area has harmed the soil. It has also used up underground water.
When Norman Borlaug started the Green Revolution, big farming companies in the US supported him. This was because their businesses could grow as more farmers used their special seeds and chemicals. However, other experts have pointed out that it's hard to imagine how the world could have fed so many people in the 20th century without these new farming methods.
Today, CIMMYT still works with both public and private groups. This includes seed companies. They help farmers get access to improved seeds and farming chemicals. For example, they developed "StrigAway." This is a maize seed coated with a special chemical. It helps fight a harmful weed called Striga. This weed affects huge areas of farmland in Africa. CIMMYT shares its maize and wheat breeding knowledge freely. This helps both public and private partners around the world.
Partners and Supporters
CIMMYT gets money from many important groups and countries. These include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CGIAR. They also receive support from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and OCP Group. Governments from countries like Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, Norway, and the United States also provide funding.
In the past, CIMMYT also received money from the European Commission and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Notable Scientists
- Norman Borlaug (1914-2009) – A wheat expert. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. He also started the World Food Prize in 1986.
- Sanjaya Rajaram (1943-2021) – He won the World Food Prize in 2014.
- Surinder Vasal (born 1938) – He won the World Food Prize in 2000.
- Evangelina Villegas (1924-2017) – A biochemist who worked with maize. Her work led to the creation of quality protein maize (QPM). She won the World Food Prize in 2000.
See also
In Spanish: Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo para niños
- CGIAR
- Green Revolution
